Communication Articles

Female fitness managers and program directors: Have you found that mentors have helped you? Other business women have. A new survey looked at the role that mentors play specifically in a woman’s career success. The “Importance of Mentoring in the Workplace,” a CareerWomen.com QuickPoll, reveals that the majority of women (62%) have a formal or informal mentor—someone who has influenced their personal and professional development and contributed to their career success.

n When providing feedback on an employee’s behavior, describe the behavior and include the impact it has on you and/or the department. State honestly how the behavior makes you feel: “I feel angry when you arrive late to our meetings.” n Focus on specific examples as they relate to the action.” “When you are late it causes a delay in the meeting and we don’t end on time.” n Don’t imply that you know why the receiver is behaving that way: “You’re trying to make me angry.”

If you've followed this column since January, you've read about how savvy managers increase efficiency and avoid burnout by establishing work-related boundaries for themselves and their stuff. This final article in a series of five provides practical solutions for creating boundaries with three common categories of customers. When you skillfully reign in your most challenging and picky patrons, you boost productivity and strengthen customer ties. Here’s how to do it.

Business professionals are always talking about the importance of networking to grow your business. This marketing tactic is especially critical in the personal training industry. Since this business is a face-to-face, service-oriented one, the most effective marketing initiatives will always be face-to-face encounters.

The most obvious benefit of a newsletter is its marketing power: You can gain exposure by using it to promote your training services, advertise special events and sales, lead clients to your Web site and sell products. A carefully crafted newsletter also plays a key role in building solid relationships with clients.

As a personal trainer you take pride in your ability to motivate and inspire your clients to new levels of fitness, strength and self-esteem. Have you ever considered exactly how you do this? Is it your choice of words? Your tone of voice? Is it your timing (cadence of delivery)? Have you noticed that a key phrase works for one client, but not another? Or it works the first few times, then sounds trite or overused?